N.Y. Scene is a monthly column that chronicles events of interest for lesbian and bi women in New York. Grace Chu has come out of lesbian scene retirement to navigate the vast and ever-evolving New York City scene, so you don’t have to.

Among the ladies who walked the red carpet were two time Tony Award winning actress Christine Ebersole, out reality show star Tabatha Coffey, and Sonja Morgan.

Christine Ebersole

Tabatha Coffey, Tabatha’s Salon Takeover

Sonja Morgan, Real Housewives of New York

Broadway star and The Voice contestant Frenchie Davis channeled the power of her pipes to close the awards show. The full list of awards recipients is here.

Ally Sheedy hosts benefit for the Ali Forney Center, October 6, 2011

The Ali Forney Center, an organization that benefits homeless LGBT youth, was founded in June of 2002 in memory of murdered youth, Ali Forney. Forney, a gay teen, was forced to live on the New York streets in the 1990s. He aggressively lobbied the NYPD to investigate a series of unsolved murders of several of the homeless gay youth he had befriended. Sadly, in December of 1997, Forney himself was found murdered in Harlem. His murder was never solved.

On October 6, the Second Annual Dinner to benefit the Ali Forney Center was held at Studio 450 in Manhattan. Actress Ally Sheedy, known for her roles in critically acclaimed film High Artand several popular 80’s films such as The Breakfast Club, hosted the event. Sheedy has become an avid supporter of LGBT initiatives in the past two years. Her 17-year-old daughter Rebecca is an out lesbian, and she has said that the reason she supports organizations such as the the Ali Forney Center is because she feels “a personal pull.” (Read our full interview with Sheedy here.)

L to R: Ally Sheedy and ANTM‘s Isis King

Celebrity photographer and Ali Forney Center honoree Mike Ruiz

To find out more about how you can help get LGBT youth off the streets and other unsafe environments into safe shelters, please visit the Ali Forney Center website.